Apparatus for dumping concrete under water



A. W. GRUNBERG.

APPARATUS FOR DUMPING CONCRETE UNDER WATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1920 1 ,fififi, 1G9. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

\E Ell:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST WOIEDEMAR GR'U'NBERG, OF LIBAU, LATWIJA, RUSSIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed July 21, 1920. Serial No. 397,996.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Answer WoLonMAR Gm'iNeEno, a citizen of Lettland, residing at Libau, Latwija, Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Dumping Concrete Under Water,

of which the following is a specification.

Thls lnvention relates to apparatus for dumping llltLtBIlttlS. of the klnd comprlslng a container whereofits body portion is open at the top and at the bottom, and is provided at the bottom with closure means for closing and rapidly opening the outlet.

Heretofore when dumping concrete under water for building concrete structures, such as quays, or when salving sunken vessels, it has been found that a considerable percentage of the cement has been unavoidably washed away from the aggregate and wasted before the concrete was deposited on the required spot. This was the case when 0011- crete was fed under Water through .pipes and down chutes, and also when it was low ered in sacks to divers under water who inverted the sacks and emptied the contents on the required spot.

This invention has for its main object to provide a construction of apparatus for dumping concrete under water such that this waste shall be obviated.

Another object is to enable the concrete to be dumped under water more conveniently than heretofore atplaces that are not very accessible to divers.

In apparatus of the type described according to this invention for dumping concrete under water, the tubular body of the container has smooth interior walls and is as wide internally at the bottom as, or preferably wider than it is at the top, the closure means are arranged to afford an unrestricted passage through the outlet when open, and perforated closure means, for example a perforated-lid, is provided to close and open the topof the container, so that when the apparatus has been filled on the surface with concrete and islowered to the required spot under water, the concrete shall remain as dry as possible during its passage through the water, but can also be discharged rapidly from the container on arrival at the required spot.

Conveniently, the closure means for the outlet takes the form of a flexible tubular conduit, for example of sail-cloth, attached at one end to the outletso as not to constrict the same when open, and means, for example, a cord, closing the other end to the conduit, for the purpose of facilitating the dumping of the concrete directly in corners and at other places that are not readilyacoessiblc to divers in such a manner that the concrete shall fall through a minimum depth of open water and shall be dumped in as dry a state as possible.

"referably, the container is provided with two handles each pivotally connected there to at its upper end, for facilitating the handling of the container and its suspension from a rope vertically above the point under water to which it is to be lowered.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein one form of apparatus according to the invention is illustratedby way of example in perspective, parts being shown broken away.

Referring to the drawing, a container for concrete comprises a cylindrical sheet-iron body portion A which is open at the top and at thebottom and has smooth internal walls, any rivet heads being let inflush with the inner face of the walls. The internal diameter of the body at the bottom is slightly larger than it isat the top in order that the material in the container may be rapidly discharged therefrom.

One end of a tubular conduit B made of sail cloth, canvas or like textile material,

. which is preferably waterproofed, is firmly detachably secured to the outlet of the body A by tying a cord C around it above an iron ring C which is riveted around the bottom of the body and thus prevents the conduit from slipping off the body. The lower end of the conduit is normally closed. by tying around it a cord D which can be readily undone when required by pulling one or bothof its ends. This conduit B and its cord D thus constitute closure means for the bottom of the body A and. when open afford an unrestricted passage from the outlet of the body into the open water when the container is submerged.

The wall of the body A is provided at the top thereof with a radial inwardly-directed flange or rib A which constitutes a seat for a lid E having a handle E and beyond. this rib the wall of the body proper is extended, as shown at A to provide a ring for positioning the lid. The lid is provided with perforations, as shown at E, for enabling Two handles G, G each having a loop in its central portion, are provided on the upper part-of the body A to swing about aXes which are parallel to one another and to a diameter of the cylindrical body. T he handle G is smaller than the handle G, so that both handles may be in a vertical position at the same time without interfering with one another. Owing to this arrangement ofthe handles, the container when filled with concrete to be dumped can be carried on a pulley by means of a hook inserted into the loop of the handle G and run alonga rod to the place where the container is to lowered, whereupon another hool-z'attached to a rope for lowering the container can be readily inserted in the loop of the handle 6*; if the container is then raised slig itly the handle G can be removed from its hook, whereupon the container an be rapidly lowered to the diver in the water. The apparatus described above is used as follows V f The preferably dry mixture of, cement and aggregates, to be dumped is mixed in the usual manner at any convenient position and is then filled in any convenient manner,for example by means of a hopper. into the container from which the lid E has been removed, and which is closed at the bottom owing to the cord D being tied .tightly around the lower end of the conduit B. Then the container is. full the lid E is put on and clamped in position, whereupon the container may be conveyed in any convenient manner, for example as described above, to the place where it is to be lowered into-the water. The diver receives the filled. container suspended from the rope, and holds it just above the spot on whi h he wishesto dump the concrete; he then opens the outlet of the container by untying the :cord D, whereupon the concrete is discharged rapidly onto the required spot. Owing to the shape of the body A the concrete is not liable to adhere to the walls. and if any does tend to adhere it is washed off by the water flowing in through the lid.

Owing to the described construction. of the apparatus it will be appreciated that the concrete arrives just above the spot where it is .to be dumped in a state-that is practically as dry, as when it was first mired and,-further, suchdry concrete falls in direct contact with water for only a very short distance, that is to say, only when falling from the outlet of the conduit D on to its resting place. It is found in practice that owing to the concrete being dumped ii a practically dry state, that is to say owing to preventing water coming into contact with the dry concrete except at its top layer in the container when the same is being lowered through the water, the loss of cement referred to above is entirely or very largely obviated.

Another advantage of the described con-- struction of apparatus, is that the container suspended from a rope can be readily directed by the diver receiving it into Iulz'.- tively inaciessible places, for example rorners in the hulls of sh ps to be solved, whereupon it is only necessary to undo the cord D to cause the concrete to be lis charged exactly onto the required spot.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for dumping concrciic under water, comprising the combination, with a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior 'alls and is at least as wide internally at its outlet at the bottom as it at the top. of closure means provided at the bottom for closing said outlet and arranged to afford an unrestricted passage through the outlet when open, and perforated closure means arranged to close and open the top of said body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Apparatus for dumping concrete under water, comprising in combination a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior walls and is wider internally at its outlet at the bottom than it is at the top, closure means provided at the bottom for closing said outlet and arranged to afford an unrestricted passage through the outlet when open, and perforated closure means arranged to close and open the top of said body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Apparatus for dumping concrete under water, comprising the combination, with a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior walls and is at least as wide internally at its outlet at the bottom as it is at the top, of a flexiother end of saidconduit, and perforated closure means arranged to close and open the top of said body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5; Apparatusfor dumping concrete under water, comprising the combination, with a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior Walls and is at least as wide internally at its outlet at the bottom as it is at the top, of a flexible tubular conduit attached at one end to said outlet so as to afford an unrestricted sass-a e therethrou h when 0 ened a flsxi a tubular body that open at the top and at, the bottom, has smooth nterior walls and is at least as wide mternally at its outletat the bottom as it is at the top, of closure means provided at the bottomfor closing said outlet when open, and a perforated lid arranged to close and open the topof said body, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

7 Apparatus for dumping concrete under Water, comprising the combination, with a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior Walls and is at least as wide internally at its outlet at the bottom as it is at the top, of two handies each pivotally connected thereto at its upper end, closure means provided at the bottom of the said body for closing said outlet and arranged to afford an unrestricted passage therethrough when open, and perforated closure means arranged to close and open the top of said body, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

8. Apparatus for dumping concrete un der water, comprising in combination a tubular body that is open at the top and at the bottom, has smooth interior walls and is wider internally at its outlet at the bottom than it is at the top, two handles each pivotally connected thereto at its upper end, a flexible tubular conduit of sail-cloth at tached at one end to said outlet so as to afford an unrestricted passage therethrough when open, cord closing the other end of said conduit, and a removable perforated lid normally placed on the top of said body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

AUGUST WOLDEMAR GRUNBERG. 

